Former KZN teacher with fake matric certificate and teaching diploma in court

A former teacher who used a fraudulent matric certificate and teaching diploma to secure a job at a high school in KwaZulu-Natal appeared in court on Tuesday following her arrest last Friday.

Hawks spokesperson, Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo, said Thembisile Phungula, 41, appeared in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court following her arrest after the provincial department of education opened a case against her.

“Phungula allegedly submitted a fraudulent matric certificate and a teaching diploma to the department of education. As a result, she was hired as a teacher at Msinga High School in 2011,” Mhlongo said.

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Mhlongo added that Phungula worked for the department from January 2011 to December 2011.

“Her conduct was discovered after the department verified the authenticity of her qualifications. The department suffered a financial loss of approximately R122,493 which was paid to her as a salary.

“A case of fraud by misrepresentation was reported at Dundee police station and the case docket was allocated to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation.

“She was granted R2000 bail and the case was postponed to 26 February 2021.”

Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu

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